It is after a major accident that we are glad to be alive, or post-loss that we are grateful for those who truly love us. It seems that we need disruptions to remind us that life isn’t actually in our control and that there is something more important “out there”.

Yet the faster we get over things, the sooner we tend to forget lessons learned.

Reminders seem fleeting and unable to impact us in a way that changes something in our hearts when our hands and hearts feel full.

This, the Bible suggests, is why opportunities for endurance can be a blessing. Troubles and suffering that endure teach us, rather than remind us, to rely on our Lord and to look on our lives in light of Him.

Because of what we learn through hardship, we are to glory in our sufferings.

“And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” -Romans 5:3-5

If God chooses to, He can heal the sick, prevent accidents, and delay the time of death. There are certainly times that He has. We often find that this is what we pray for. Or, if not such extreme miracles, we pray that recovery is speedy or that joy come quickly.

Why do we feel it’s best to hurry grief, hardship, and uncomfortable emotions?

Surely no one needs to desire or wish for trouble, but when it comes, as it did for Jesus, we are to trust in God’s will. As someone (I’m sorry I can’t recall who) pointed out- there isn’t a single emotion Christ didn’t feel and yet there wasn’t a single moment Christ wasn’t honoring God. Yet we think we should get to avoid hard things and uncomfortable feelings because they could lead to sin?

God produces much in our hearts in our times of enduring.

Consider what Psalm 105:19 says about God’s work in the suffering of Joseph (who was sold into slavery and thrown into jail for no sin of his own!):

In Psalm 73, we are given an example of one who begins to slip from righteousness because He focuses on how wicked people seem to have no trouble at all. The writer begins to look around and grow envious of how happy others’ earthly lives seem to be. Meanwhile, his own Godly life is one of affliction. He comes to this conclusion in verses 20-28:

and my spirit embittered,

I was senseless and ignorant;

I was a brute beast before you.

Yet I am always with you;

you hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will take me into glory.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever.

Those who are far from you will perish;

you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

But as for me, it is good to be near God.

I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;

Sometimes life is a lot to endure when we look around and see how other’s lives seem to go. Particularly when we’re struggling. But…

Enduring, when rooted in the perseverance of the Lord, can be a blessing.
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The “end goal” of our lives as Christians is that we are near to our God. Happiness is not the goal. Prosperity is not the goal. These might be a means to our end goal, but we must realize that suffering can also be a means to grow closer to Him.

It is good for us to be near our God. He is our desire and our glory. If it is in suffering that we spend our days seeking Him, learning from Him, and relying on Him, then we can count our having to endure as a blessing.

In light of our Savior, our hope is secure. He is faithful. His love is unfailing. Time and time again, He has proved Himself merciful. Our suffering does not change the Lord, but the Lord can certainly draw our hearts, shaping them as His, through our suffering.

{A version of this post was originally published here.}

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Mary was a poor lady who worked as a maid for a wealthy family. She was a joyful Christian who regulary performed her hard labor while singing songs of praise. She always had a word of encouragement and a smile on her face, regardless of her circumstances.

Her boss was a sullen woman who was bothered by Mary’s apparent lack of concern for her future. One day, when Mary carried a happy tune while scrubbing the mansion’s floor, her boss couldn’t take it any longer. She blurted out all of her concerns for Mary: “I understand your happiness today, but I imagine your future should concern you. Suppose you become ill and can’t work anymore? What will you do when you are too old to work and have no retirement funds to live off?” As the lady carried on with her calamity-filled hypothetical scenarios, Mary abruptly interrupted her: “Stop! I never suppose anything,” she cried. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want! It is all the supposing that makes people miserable. I choose to work joyfully and hard today, trusting that God will provide tomorrow as he does today.”

A similar story illustrated my devotional time one morning last week. As it usually happens, it was exactly what I needed to read in preparation for my day. Later that afternoon, I received some unexpected news regarding an important event in my life, something that would usually bring me great anxiety and stress. As I heard the bad news, I could feel my heart start beating faster, as anxious thoughts tried to steal my peace: “Suppose the worst happens?”As the first darkness tried to creep in, however, I stopped it at the door of my heart: “No!” I said to myself. “God has got this covered. I refuse to allow anything to steal my joy.”

As I deliberately started recalling the amazing doors God has opened for me in the last few years, my heart started to settle, in agreement with all I know about my God. Suddenly, an amazing peace fell over my soul. I knew it – God is still on the throne and he promised to never leave me, nor forsake me. That promise has been tested and proven in my darkest valleys. It won’t be different this time. It shall never change.

We live in a worry-filled world. More than ever before, our lives are permeated with uncertainties. If we focus on the dreadful news around the globe or the bleak reality of some of our portfolios, we are liable to start hyperventilating at any given moment.

Learning how to bridge the twelve-Inch gap between brain and heart has transformed me from a fearful and anxious person to one who has been able to live in victory through life’s darkest valleys. Emotions are a wonderful thing, and God has certainly created us with the capability to love and trust, but also to hate and fear. I have seen many people give in to their negative emotions and settle for living in misery. I was certainly a candidate to be one of them. But some time ago, I chose to fill my mind with God’s truth and started telling my heart what to believe. It has been a journey of self-awareness and surrender to a God who can change even the hardest of hearts. Today, instead of panicking with bad news, I choose to tell my heart how to feel, knowing that I serve a God who has not failed me yet and believing he never will.

Patricia Holbrook is a Christian author and national conference speaker. You can now pre-buy her first book, “12 Inches: Bridging the Gap Between What You Know about God and How You Feel” at Barnes & Nobles online and Amazon.com. Visit her blog to read her devotionals at www.soaringwithhim.com or email her at pholbrook@soaringwithhim.com.

The post God’s Joy Can Shine Amidst Crisis (Atlanta Journal Constitution Column) appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.